Devonport: What happened in between

John and Moreton Bay Fig Tree

This amazing tree is just adjacent to the Devonport library . . . another Moreton Bay Fig (remember? From Australia?), but this one was huge. Apparently I'm not the only one who has been bowled over by it. . check out http://www.tracenz.org/elements/Mo002.html.

The tree has large magnolia-like leaves, fruit (of course), and the aerial roots are just heart-stopping. John and I were speculating on the possible evolutionary advantage of those roots. Of course. What else does one discuss over wine? It could be that they give stability. This hypothesis is lent credence by the fact that you often don't see them on smaller trees.

Aerial roots

Not the biggest, but what a beauty

We saw this beauty while walking through town, and then stopped for coffee and bread stuffs. When in doubt, eat and drink. After that, we made our way along the coastal walk, seeing some wonderful houses on the way. It really is a lovely part of town, though by all indications it seems that housing prices are through the roof, and the historic residents have a hard time finding affordable housing. This was the story in Melbourne, too. My frequent refrain? Too many people. Good grief.

Devonport Coastal Homes

We made an uncharacteristic decision to stop in to see the Auckland Naval Museum. This was in part to dodge the rain, but it was really interesting.  Devonport was the first line of defense, even prior to the World Wars. I always get blinded by tears in these places. . . so many people dead and mistreated, and yet it's fitting to go there over our Memorial Day weekend, yes? From there we hiked up the first (and smaller) extinct volcanic cone on Devonport, North Head.

All nicely arranged, easy to get around. And really not much climbing, given Rocky Mountain standards. I'm not saying that in a snarky tone. Believe me, I don't need a lot to challenge me these days, but still. . . .

The views from North Head are wonderful, but it's really about the big guns that were put there to defend New Zealand.

Red Sail on a cloudy Day

Once again, dodging rain, we decided to opt for the climb up Mount Victoria, which is the highest point in the area. It purports a "360 Degree View", but not all from the same place. . .just from the same plateau. I posted the video yesterday of about 180 degrees of that view, but thought I'd also post a few more images. It really was lovely.

View of Auckland CBD from Mt. Vic

And just as we were about to head back, the sun broke through the clouds and gave us this beautiful view of Devonport and the sky and the sea.

After the Storm, Devonport from Mount Victoria